Drip pan for toilet flush tanks



1949- s. G. BUCZKOWSKI 7 2,479,000

DRIP PANFOR TOILET FLUSH TANKS Filed Feb. 6, 1948 Emil-H E3 INVEN TOR. JTt'P/ff/V a Baez/r0 n s/r/ 5 W lwuw w A rrok/wr n9 Patented Aug. 16, 1949 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,479,000 mar PAN. FOR TOILET FLUSH. TANKS Stephen George Buczkowski, Chicago, Ill. Application February 6, 1948, Serial No. 6,713

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to lavatories and more particularly to a drip pan :Eor collecting condensation from the flush tank of a toilet bowl.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved drip pan device which can be installed below a toilet flush tank without disturbing the pipe connections thereto, said device being simple in construction, neat in appearance and useful in maintaining the floor beneath the flush tank in a dry condition.

A further object, of 'the invention is to provide animproved toilet flush tank drip pan which is easy to install, sturdy in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompany" ing drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a toilet installation on which a drip pan, constructed in accordance with the present invention, is mounted.

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2. 7 V

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line 5-5 of Figure, 3.

Referring to the drawings, the drip pan is designated generally at H and comprises two right-angled segments l2 and I3 which, when overlapped at their diagonal edge portions in the manner shown in Figure 2, define a generally rectangular body.

The segments l2 and I3 are formed with the respective upstanding edge flanges It and adapted to overlap as shown in Figure 2, to form a resultant substantially continuous upstanding flange around the body, giving it the ability to collect water condensing on and dripping from a flush tank, such as shown l6 when the abovedescribed body is positioned beneath the tank, as will be presently explained.

Segment l2 is slightly oiiset downwardly at its diagonal edge portion, indicated at I! and positioned on the seat thus defined is a gasket strip [8, the strip being of suitable sealing material and being preferably cemented on said seat. The diagonal edge portion of segment l3, designated at I9 is secured on gasket strip I8 by suitable bolts or screws passing through edge portion 19, strip l8 and the underlying edge portion I! of segment I2.

Segment I2 is formed with a first upwardly pro jecting semi-circular boss 2| at its edge portion [1 and with a second upwardly projecting semicircular boss 22 at said edge portion l'l. The edge portion IQ of segment 13 is notched at 23 to receive boss 2|, the rear portion of notch 23 being formed with an upstanding semi-=circular boss 24 mating with boss 2| to define therewith a completely circular resultant upstanding boss. Edge portion is, is further notched at 25 to receive the second upwardly projecting semi-circular boss 22 formed on the edge portion ll of segment [2, the rear portion of notch 25 being formed with an upstanding semi-circular boss" 21 mating with boss 22 to define another completely circular resultant upstanding boss. The first circular upstanding boss thus defined fits around the valve pipe 23 of the flush tank and the second circular boss fits around the flush pipe 25 of said tank, as shown in Figure 2.

Secured to the bottom of segment is adjacent notch 25 is a depending bracket member 30. Engaging flush pipe 2.9 is a strap member 35 which is connected to bracket member 323 by bolts 3i, 3! on opposite sides of flush pipe 29, said bolts being .provided with wing. nuts 32, 32; When wingnuts 32, 32 are tightened against the end portions of strap member 36, as shown in Figure 5, thesegment [3. is thereby clamped to the flush pipe. This supports the drip pan assembly in a desired position, subadjacent to flush tank [5, as shown in Figure 1.

Segment I2 is formed adjacent its corner with a depending internally threaded boss 33 communicating with the top surface of the horizontal wall of said segment and threadedly secured in said boss is the end of a tube 34. The tube 34 is suitably bent so that it extends over the rim of the toilet bowl, the other end of the tube being directed downwardly in the toilet bowl, as shown at 35. Condensate dripping from the outer surface of flush tank l6 collects in the drip pan I! and is conveyed therefrom through the tube 34 into the toilet bowl.

The drip pan segments l2 and I3 may be formed either of molded plastic material or of suitable sheet metal, such as galvanized sheet iron or the like. The tube 34 is preferably fabricated from bendable copper tubing.

By means of the wing nuts 32, 32 the drip pan may be positioned at any desired location on flush pipe 29 below the flush tank l6.

While a specific embodiment of a drip pan device for toilet bowl flush tanks has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A drip pan device for a toilet bowl flush tank comprising a pair of segments formed and conditioned to be overlapped to define a rectangular body, the overlapping portions of said segments including two inner edge portions extending from one outer edge at one side of the rectangular body to another outer edge at another side of said rectangular body and being formed intermediately with mating semi-circular upstanding bosses arranged to receive the valve pipe and the flush pipe of the toilet bowl, means for securing the two inner edge portions together in a water-tight lap joint, the outer edges of the segments being formed with marginal upstandin flanges, said flanges together forming a bounding wall surrounding said rectangular body, a depending bracket carried by one of said segments adjacent one of its upstanding semi-circular bosses, a clamping strap member engageable with one of said pipes, and means for securing said strap member in clamped condition to said depending bracket.

2. A drip pan device for a toilet bowl flush tank comprising a pair of segments formed and conditioned to be overlapped at diagonal portions thereof to define a resultant rectangular body, the diagonal portions of the segments including two inner edges extending from the edge portions on one side of the rectangular body to other edge portions on another side of the rectangular body and being formed intermediately with mating semi-circular upstanding bosses adapted to receive the valve pipe and flush pipe of the toilet bowl, a sealing gasket disposed between the two inner edges of said overlapping diagonal portions, means for securing said inner edges and sealing gasket together to form a water-tight lap joint, the outer edge portions of the segments being formed with upstanding marginal flanges which together form a bounding wall for said rectangular body, depending clamping means carried by one of the segments adjacent the semi-circular boss thereon, said clamping means being engageable With one of said pipes, and a tube connected to the bottom of one of the segments and communicating through said bottom with the interior of said pan device, said tube being bendable so that its free end extends over the rim of the toilet bowl when the mentioned rectangular body is secured beneath the flush tank.

3. A drip pan device for a toilet bowl flush tank comprising a pair of right-angled segments formed and conditioned to be overlapped at diagonal inner edge portions thereof to define a resultant generally rectangular body, the mentioned diagonal inner edge portions extending from the outer edge portions of the segments on one side of the rectangular body to outer edge portions or segments on another side of said rectangular body and being intermediately formed with mating semi-circular upstanding bosses spaced apart to receive the valve pipe and flush pipe of the toilet bowl, one diagonal edge portion upon one segment being offset to form a seat portion, a sealing gasket upon the seat portion disposed between said overlapping diagonal edge portions, means for securing said diagonal inner edge portions and sealing gasket together to form a water-tight lap joint, the outer edge portions of the segments being formed with upstanding marginal flanges which together form a bounding wall for said rectangular body, a depending bracket carried by one of said segments adjacent one of its upstanding semi-circular bosses, a clamping strap member engageable with one of said pipes, means for securing said strap member to said depending bracket in clamping engagement, and a bendable tube connected to the bottom of one of thesegments, said tube being arranged to extend with its free end over the rim of the toilet bowl when the mentioned rectangular body is secured beneath the flush tank.

STEPHEN GEORGE BUCZKOW SKI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 984,850 Rathburn Feb. 21, 1911 1,348,354 Garnett et a1 Aug. 3, 1928 1,381,877 Ickes June 14, 1921 1,737,824 Brower Dec. 3, 1929 

